Ford “Delaying” Three Row EV SUV In Favor Of Hybrids

Ford’s making a lot of Corporate Speak, but, come on, we can all see that the EV push is not going well (via The First Street Journal)

Ford to delay all-electric SUV to focus on offering hybrid vehicles across its lineup by 2030

Ford Motor is delaying production of a new all-electric three row SUV, as it shifts to offer hybrid options across its entire North American lineup by 2030.

The Detroit automaker on Thursday said it will continue to invest in EVs, but it is postponing production of the large SUV at a plant in Canada from 2025 to 2027 to allow for the market to mature more.

The shift in EV plans is the latest for Ford and the entire automotive industry as adoption has been slower than many expected and production costs remain high.

Ford last year said it would delay or cancel $12 billion in planned spending on new EVs due to the shifting market conditions as well as challenges to profitably building and selling the vehicles.

“As the No. 2 EV brand in the U.S. for the past two years, we are committed to scaling a profitable EV business, using capital wisely and bringing to market the right gas, hybrid and fully electric vehicles at the right time,” said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. “Our breakthrough, next-generation EVs will be new from the ground up and fully software enabled, with ever-improving digital experiences and a multitude of potential services.”

Blah blah blah. Ford says their sales of EVs rose 86% from 2022, but, they didn’t have that many the year before. And, for all their yammering and pushing, they still only have the the Lightning and “Mustang” (is it really a Mustang at this point? It may be competing for least popular with the 1969 Ford Mustang E. At least it looked like a Mustang). And six hybrids, five of which are standard and one is a plugin. You do not see many of the Explorer hybrids around, nor the F-150 hybrid or Transit. The Escape and Maverick do sell better. That should be the focus, but, come on, the Escapes are low ranking vehicles for resale value.

Consumers are willing to accept standard hybrids, and do not want to be forced into EVs.

What electric vehicle shoppers want isn’t what’s for sale, and it’s hurting sales: poll.

Are you there, electric vehicle makers? It’s me, an EV shopper.

Judging by the EVs on the market, EV makers aren’t there listening to what consumers want, according to auto comparison company Edmunds.

EV battery longevity worries, range anxiety and lack of charging infrastructure are all known concerns, but there’s also a wide gap between what car shoppers want and what’s for sale, Edmunds’ 2024 EV consumer sentiment survey shows.

These factors together can make the uphill climb to mass EV purchases even steeper. Edmunds predicts the rate of EV growth will continue slowing through 2024, increasing to just 8% of new vehicle market share from 6.9% last year and 5.2% in 2022.

What consumers want is lower prices. Cars and SUVs, not pickups (which is interesting, because a lot of consumers are forgoing sedans right now. That could change). And

EVs from the most trusted brands: Toyota and Honda rank third and fourth as the most trusted makers of consumer EVs, with Tesla and BMW taking the top two spots, respectively.

Reality:Toyota has just one EV on the market in the U.S., while Honda’s just beginning to sell its first pure electric.

Consumers for Toyota and Honda, though, aren’t exactly asking for them. A small minority are asking, but, even less are actually interested in purchasing. Bringing the E: Ny1 over from Europe, an SUV a bit smaller than a CRV, could make a big difference. Then there’s the range issue. If they were smart, they’d make a big push for standard hybrids, and ease into EVs when consumers want them.

Fox Business’s @Grady_Trimble: “So, is it realistic to go from about seven or eight percent of sales to 50 percent of sales in eight years If the automakers themselves are cutting back pro — on production?”

KJP: “We believe — and we’ve seen that — that U.S. manu — U.S.… pic.twitter.com/fGxTTrDJk6

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 4, 2024

It’s worth clicking them to see the full exchange, but, as I noted to Grady, he needs to ask if she drives one. If other people in the Brandon Regime drive one. And why isn’t Brandon tooling around in one, along with all the dozens of chase vehicles.

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